Rewrite
by Shimegami-chan
Summary: ONGOING - CHAPTER 6 - Timeline corruption lands the gang in a lot of trouble when the Royal Family of the Middle Ages is murdered in a coup, and the throne passed to an unlikely Chancellor.
1. A Change In Plans

Disclaimer: Chrono Trigger belongs to Square, not to me

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Rewrite

_by Shimegami-chan_

w w w . shimegami . com / ichijouji

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_It is said that when Time is altered, the stream of Fate fragments into many separate rivers, joining at times, separating at others. Other believe that if a past event were to be altered, a ripple effect would slowly cause the future to evolve. Still others believe that a change resulting from time travel instantly affects the entire stream, creating paradox, possibly even destroying the universe..._

_Until a way is found to transcend time, the world will never know._

_-_from the diary of Lucca Ashtear, 998 A.D

_

* * *

_

"So that's that." Marle strode down the steps of Guardia Castle, circa 600 A.D. "Toma will be able to rest in peace, now."

Two steps behind, Lucca slung her arms behind her head. "Guess so. I'm just glad to get out of that stupid cave." She hesitated to admit her only-somewhat-rational fear of dinosaurs. It wasn't exactly a problem she had been forced to face often, until she met this particular group of friends. "Well, where to next?"

The two girls looked at Frog, who shrugged. "One of thee should choose where next we go."

Marle led the way back to the Epoch, parked slightly obtrusively between the castle and the forest. She was feeling rather pleased with herself, for now that the Rainbow Shell was in the keeping of the King and Queen, it would surely be safe. It had been nice to see King Guardia and Queen Leene again as well - Marle continually felt that each encounter with them would be her last. It was one of the major disadvantages of time travelling.

Lucca held a fist in front of her face, raising a finger for each of the tasks they had accomplished. "Sun stone. Rainbow shell. Saving Cyrus. The Machine Factory."

Marle took up the count, listing off the other quests Gaspar had told them about. "There's a woman in the middle ages, saving a forest. Ozzie is here too, building up a stronghold. And someone close to one of us is in trouble. But a lot of people around us have been in trouble, so I don't really know if he's referring to someone we already saved, or someone in a time we haven't visited lately."

"The only era we have yet to return to is thine," Frog told them, crossing his flippered arms over his chest. "I think it best that that be our next destination."

"Now would also be a good time," Marle announced, "to see what Melchior'd be able to do with that shell. I think if he can make armor out of it, we should do that before tackling all that other stuff the old man wanted us to do. If someone in the Present needs saving, we can handle that too."

"Right you are." Lucca led the way to Epoch's boarding platform and, when Frog and Marle stood beside her, raised it into the small cockpit. She flipped two switches on the side of the control board and pressed the X button.

Epoch hummed to life around them. The small craft had come in increasingly handy since Dalton's winged modifications were put into place, allowing them to fly all over in a fraction of the time it would have taken to walk. Frog looked longingly out at the castle as they rose into the air.

"Next stop, 1000 A.D.," Lucca confirmed. "I guess nobody wants to leave the party at this point?" She grinned at the Princess in the back seat.

"Thanks, but no. As much as I'd like to avoid seeing my father, I'll be getting us into the castle." Marle's face looked tired and worn, but she smiled.

"Nay," Frog replied. "I shall escort you as well."

"Great." Lucca set the desination and Epoch flashed, sparked, and fell in and out of the time stream in an instant, hovering in the blue skies over Guardia.

Lucca guided the craft eastward, past the forest, and landed just outside Truce. As usual, the machine took a few moments to settle, finally situating itself on the grass without so much as a jitter. She glanced out the viewport, trying to judge whether it was safe to leave the ship so close to the village. "Just because I trusted Queen Leene's court not to touch Epoch doesn't mean it works the same in this eraI'll park well away from the castle. No offense, Marle."

"None taken."

Lucca lowered the ramp and the three adventurers disembarked, two of the three feeling enlivened by the bright sky and clear air. 1000 A.D.'s atmosphere was gerenally the most pleasant of all they had frequented since the time travelling began, and for Lucca and Marle, being in the correct era made them more light-hearted. Once the platform had been raised back into Epoch's belly, the three set off into the forest.

Thankfully, the monster population in the woods had dropped to all but nothing (a welcome change from Mystic-ridden 600 A.D., Lucca thought sourly) and they proceeded through the forest undisturbed. The only conversation was, as they neared the castle, Frog's low-voiced query. "Art thou nervous?"

"No," Marle, who was trembling slightly, lied. "We don't have Chrono with us, so it should be fine."

They ascended the steps three-abreast, Frog's hand hovering over his sword. Lucca nudged him. "Come on, why's everybody so nervous?"

"_I'm _not nervous," Marle asserted, levering the heavy door open with both hands. "I'm just not looking forward to seeing my father."

Lucca rolled her eyes. _Then again_, she thought, _if my father were like Marle's, I'd be running away too, I guess._

"Hey, I'm home!"

Marle paused, her arms hanging at her sides. As expected, within seconds the four door guards had left their posts to come threaten the intruders. "Halt! Who goes there?"

"It's just me," Marle said wearily, trying to brush past, one hand wrapped around Frog's rubbery wrist.

"It's her!" one of the guards cried out, shocked.

"Get her!"

"Call for backup!"

Marle held up an arm to ward them off. "Hold it! I'm coming in of my own accord, so don't touch!"

"Marle! _Frog!_ Help!" Lucca yowled from under a pile of four guards.

By the time Frog positioned himself in front of Marle, sword drawn, two guards had clapped hands over Lucca's mouth and were dragging her away. The other two stepped in front of them and looked from the Masamune to the amphibian holding it. "What _are_ you?"

"Tis an insulting way to greet someone," Frog warned.

"He might be the one responsible for Lady Lucca's disappearance," one of the guards yelled.

"Lucca's _what?_"

"Tis advised that thou release our friend," Frog told them, his bulbous eyes flickering to the two guards dragging Lucca up the steps. "I have no desire to harm thee."

"Listen!" Marle cried, stepping out from behind Frog. "I'm willing to talk to my father about this. Please bring Lucca back, and I promise I won't run." They could hear the sound of trampling feet elsewhere in the castle as the reserve guards made their way to the foyer.

The guards stared at her. "You don't make much sense. Are you _friends_ of the Lady, then?"

"What are you, stupid?" Marle stared at them incredolously. "I'm the _Princess._"

The taller guard drew his sword. "We'd better take them both. You get the girl, I'll take care of this...thing."

Frog backed up a step. "Marle, I hesitate to say that mayhaps there has been an error made somewhere"

"You're telling me." Marle grabbed him by the arm. "We can't fight our way out. We're going to have to run for it."

"An excellent idea." Frog sheathed the Masamune and raised his voice. "There has been some kind of mistake, it seems. We shall return at a later time."

"Should we let them go?" the shorter guard asked worriedly. "We have Lady Lucca now."

"No! They might be kidnappers! Besides, that green one looks like it could be a Mystic!"

"I feel sick," Marle groaned.

"Let us depart, then!" Frog snatched her by the wrist and the two of them careened through the trees, the guards fairly close behind. Fortunately, both Frog and Marle had grown up playing in the woods, and lost their pursuers after only a few moments, pausing by the reflecting pool in the eastern area of the forest.

"Okay, okay," Marle panted, "obviously something's gone wrong, and now we've lost Lucca. What should we do?"

Frog's hand clutched the hilt of his sword. "...I do not know..."

* * *

"I will ask you again, Lucca. _Where_ have you been?"

"I fail to see why I need to answer to you," Lucca replied snidely. "I have no idea who you are."

The man sighed and rolled his eyes. "Pretending is not going to get you in less trouble. Surely you realize that feigning ignorance may work with me, but when your father returns, he'll be disciplining you accordingly."

"Yeah, I keep meaning to talk to you about that," Lucca replied icily. "Mind telling me when my father started living in _Guardia Castle?_ Because this is definitely something new."

The man looked at her reproachfully. "Perhaps you will be more willing to talk to him than me. I can understand that."

A little of the hostility faded from Lucca's voice. "Where is he?"

"He went out to the village to visit old friends. He should be back by nightfall." The man beckoned and two women stepped into the room. "Take her to her room. We'll just wait for the Steward to return."

Lucca supposed there was no point in asking for her Wondershot back. The women came forward and gently led her out of the throne room and up the stairs to the room that had been Queen Leene's. Lucca supposed that it belonged to Marle in this time. Or it used to, anyway.

One of the ladies, tall with raven-black hair, unlocked the door with an ancient key. "It's been closed up since you left, to keep people from coming and going. We didn't want anything in there to be touched, just in case you came back."

"Thanks. Listen," Lucca began, "you seem like you have a good head on your shoulders, uh..." she looked at the woman expectantly.

"My name is Eileen," she supplied, "and this is Cora."

"Eileen. Okay. Well, I mean, I'm a little bit confused. I think there may be something wrong with me." Lucca made up the story almost as fast as it was coming out of her mouth. "Maybe I hit my head or something, and I can't remember very much. Honestly, I don't understand why I'm here, I really don't even know _who_ I am. That's why...that's why I couldn't say anything to that man downstairs. I don't understand any of this."

Both womens' faces went from mild boredom to extreme pity in an instant. "Oh, my God!" Cora said, her complexion lightening. Lucca wondered if she had said something wrong or whether they were just overly melodramatic.

"You poor dear," Eileen consoled, leading Lucca into the room. "Sit down...we'll tell you everything we know."

* * *

Marle sat in the cockpit of the Epoch, slouched over on the console, face buried in her arms. She had not spoken for quite a while, despite Frog's best attempts to organize a plan.

"Mayhaps it would be best for thee to return to the End of Time," the amphibian suggested, pointing at the dial. "We could get input from the others there as well."

"I can't just leave things as they are," Marle said hotly, raising her head. "I'm going to set things right in this era. Epoch only seats three, and we're coming back with Lucca no matter what it takes, so you and I will have to fix this!"

"I was not suggesting abandoning Lucca. Mine honour demands the rescue of the lass," Frog told her quietly. "Had I been quicker with my sword, or recognized the danger, she might ne'er have been taken. I merely thought that the skills of the others might assist us in freeing her."

"You're right, you're right, I'm sorry," Marle sighed. "I wasn't thinking."

"I know not of secret entrances to the castle, but many of the rooms are windowless, and could be accessed by a skilled climber."

"We'll go back to the End of Time and get Ayla, then we'll come back for Lucca, is that what you're suggesting?"

"If anyone is apt to such a task, Ayla would be," Frog replied. "The lass moves more quickly and steathily than a cat. But thee shalt go alone for now, if thee be safe doing so. There is more information to be found in this era, and so by your leave, I would seek it."

"Okay. You're probably right...again."

Frog had already reached over and flipped the switch to lower the platform. "Thee know'st the castle best, Marle. Go with Ayla - I shall do my part to discover to what ends we must go."

Marle nodded. "We'll wait until it's good and dark, then we'll get Lucca and come back here. If everything goes OK, Ayla or I will return to the End of Time."

"Then, two moons from now, I shall meet thee at Epoch before dawn." He raised his voice slightly as the platform fell away from her, gently settling on the ground.

"I'll be here," Marle promised, pressing the button to retract the platform as Frog stepped away from it.

"Stay safe, lass," Frog told her, and hopped off. Through the front viewport, Marle watched him go in silence.

* * *

"Your father, Taban, rules over Guardia as the Steward," Cora explained, sitting beside Lucca on the bed. "He's like a king, but he is not of royal blood."

"_My_ father does? Okay, hold on." Lucca held up both hands. "What happened to the royal line, then? Has my family always held the Stewardship?"

"It's been in your family for many generations," Eileen told her. "The royal line died out in the sixth century."

Lucca's stomach churned. _Something altered the timeline that lead to the deaths of the monachs...and it _has_ to have been inadvertantly caused by us!_

"The sixth century? Do you know what happened?"

"I'm afraid I do not know as much of Guardia's history as I should, Lady Lucca. All I know is that an uprising in Choras caused the King to fall...some rebellious villagers gained entrance to the castle, and he was killed in the ensuing fight."

"Oh my God."

Eileen's frown deepened. "They had scattered throughout the castle as they entered. Several of them apparantly found the Queen, and she and her baby daughter were taken and presumably killed. Both rulers and the heir were taken from Guardia in only a night."

"When the last heir of a royal line is eliminated," Cora told them, "rule is passed to a Steward. Neither the King nor the Queen had any surviving relatives, so the Chancellor of the time rose to the throne. He was your ancestorthe Stewardship has been passed down the Ashtear line ever since."

"To my father."

"That's right," Eileen said. "You will be the next heir, which is why such a disturbance was caused when you ran away again."

Lucca frowned. "Do you know why I did that?"

"Maybe it was because of that expectation, that you would rule Guardia someday. It's said that many of the citizens and staff refer to you as "the Princess," because you're the first female steward Guradia will ever have. But I can't really say for sure...both Cora and I are very new to the castle. We came just six months ago to wait on your mother. You ran away two years ago."

"I've been gone for two _years?_" Lucca's brain ran at lightspeed, trying to puzzle out how this was possible. They had never made a significant change to their own ancestry during all the time-travellinghow would this have affected Lucca's relationship with other people? Would her memories slowly change over time to recall this history, instead of the one where she grew up in a small house on the pennisula, inseperable from her best friend Crono?

Or had Lucca's presence outside the timestream when the altering event happened prevented her from being affected? But wouldn't that make her the same Lucca as the one that had run away from this timeline two years before? Lucca's head hurt and she rubbed her fingers against her temples.

Perhaps in this timestream Lucca would have run away and met Crono, then the two of them had somehow ended up in a situation that sent Marle back to 600 A.D. Lucca doubted that everything had gone exactly as before - surely someone would have spotted her if she was showing off inventions at the Millenial Fair.

_Oh, wait, _she thought to herself. _Marle doesn't exist in this timeline. Another paradox._

Lucca wanted to cry.

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_...to be continued..._


	2. Rescue Mission

**Rewrite**

Chapter 2

_By Shimegami-chan_

w w w . shimegami . com / ichijouji

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"Lady Lucca?" Cora laid a hand on the girl's shaking back. "Are you all right? Have we said too much?"

"No...no, I'm fine," Lucca assured them, shifting her glasses to rub at her eyes. "I'm just surprised. This is all happening so fast."

Eileen looked sympathetic, laying a cloak around Lucca's shoulders. "It'll be fine, dear, I'm sure. You're here now, and you're safe. Well...I didn't want to ask this, but do you remember anything that happened since you ran away?"

"Some," Lucca lied. "I remember being alone, walking through the towns and sleeping in the Inns and sometimes in the forests. I met people who became my friends...the girl and the frog that man tried to have captured."

"So, they were your friends. The Chancellor seemed to think they were Mystic terrorists of some sort."

Lucca frowned. "They ran from the guards. I hope they're all right..."

"I'm sure they are, my Lady," Cora said, clasping Lucca's hand in hers. "If they had been taken and held in the Castle, we would know."

"Is that who that guy was? The current Chancellor?" Anger flared up in Lucca despite her panic. "He was so irritating."

Cora and Eileen exchanged glances. "As we said before, Lady, we did not know you before. But the entire castle has heard of of your quarrels with the Chancellor."

"Oh, great." They seemed to be having _wonderful_ luck with the Guardian Chancellors thus far. Save for the one that was her distant ancestor (Lucca hoped he wasn't the one who had been impersonated by Yakra in 600 A.D., but she had never found out his name) every one she had met had been trouble.

_Anyway, that isn't the same guy that dragged Crono off to trial. Whatever's happened to this timeline has REALLY screwed it up. Come to think of it..._

"Hey...where's my mom?" Lucca asked, a glimmer of hope sparking in her heart. Without a mechanic-obssessed Taban on the loose, it was entirely possible that she was completely healthy in this timeline.

Eileen looked surprised. "Your mother had thought you wouldn't want to see her, dear. She's upstairs."

"Wouldn't want to? Why?" Lucca rose, looking around the room at the sparsely-decorated walls. Some of her love for gadgets had clearly carried into the alter-Lucca's world, as a desk was piled high with books and tools, magnifying glasses and small mechanical contraptions. Blueprints were hung on the stone walls above the desk.

"It seems you didn't always get along," Cora said gently. "You and she were very different."

_Well, of course...Mom never liked us fooling around with machines. Especially after her accident...but I learned how they worked so that could never happen again..._

Lucca shook her head. "I want to see her. Is that all right?"

"I don't see why not," Eileen replied, pulling the cloak tighter around Lucca's shoulders. "You're not a prisoner here, you know."

_No, I'm just being made to feel like one,_ Lucca thought bitterly. But out loud she forced a tone of excitement. "Okay, lead the way!"

She followed Eileen down the stairs of the east tower and across the Great Hall to the western tower of the castle, where the King's room had been in the sixth century. The east tower always seemed to belong to the female ruler or heir, Lucca noted. She filed this information away for future reference.

Cora held the thick wooden door open as Eileen stepped into the room first, leaving Lucca standing in the hall, fidgeting. She had been listening intently, watching every window for a sign of Epoch departing this era, but if Frog and Marle had escaped in the time machine they had done so discreetly enough that Lucca had missed the telltale crackle of electricity in the air. She didn't like not knowing what was going on, or really, much about paradoxes at all. Time travel was not logical.

Lucca hated that.

"You can come in now, Lucca, dear." Eileen beckoned from the door and Lucca stepped forward, unsure of what to expect. Did she hate her mother in this timeline? Were her mother's legs all right, or might some other horrendous thing have happened in that accident's place? Lucca felt a little ill.

The woman in the King's room looked at Lucca anxiously, hopefully. "Lucca..."

"Mom...?" Lucca whispered. The desire to see Lara standing was washed away by the woman's green-eyed gaze and hesitant smile. She was young, healthy, and regal. She was beautiful.

But she was _not_ Lara.

* * *

"Ayla go with! Climb," Ayla mimed climbing on an invisible rope, "take Lucca, and escape! Very quiet!"

"The odds of breaking into the castle undetected are very low," Robo 's optical sensors dimmed slightly. "Lucca will surely be under very heavy guard. I want to help, but I would be of no use on this mission."

"It's too difficult to disguise you anyway, Robo. I'm sure Lucca would understand," Marle assured him.

"Ayla go! Ayla can save, easy." The prehistoric woman grinned manically. "Crono stay here with Robo. We come back."

"..." Crono looked at the ground, seemingly lost in thought.

Marle hugged him. "I know she's your best friend. But we'll save her, we promise."

"Time is passing in 1000 A.D. even as you speak," Gaspar advised.

"Right!" Marle let go of Chrono and ran to the stairway, aware of Ayla's loping gait less than a foot behind. The young princess leapt into the front seat feetfirst, her hands settling naturally on Epoch's many levers. "Are we ready?"

"Go Epoch!" Ayla shouted. Marle grinned - traveling with Ayla was always fun. She brought the time machine to life and directed it to 1000 A.D., holding down the ignition button. The ship rose and took flight, gently crackling as eras flowed around it, coming to rest in the dimly-lit sky.

Night was just beginning to fall as Marle gently set Epoch down under the cover of the Forest. The two party members waited in silence momentarily within the cockpit, Ayla twitching in excitement.

Fianlly, Marle pressed the button to release the hatch, and as the ship hissed the boarding platform lowered slowly to the ground. Ayla leapt from the platform as soon as there was space and sat cross-legged on the grass, waiting for it to deliver her companion.

Marle slung a coil of rope over her shoulder and pressed the button to raise the platform back into Epoch's body. "My room is in this tower. We'll use this to get up there," she told Ayla. "Follow me."

The cavewoman eyed the rope in her hands with a quizzical look, as if to say, _what is_ that _supposed to be for?_ Then, grinning, she turned and indicated with her thumb that Marle should climb on her back.

Marle, immediately apprehensive (Ayla's smile did _very_ little to reassure her of good intent), took a step back. "What for?"

"Marle get on," Ayla told her bossily. "Ayla strong, we climb up together."

The young princess slowly obliged, hoping what Ayla _really_ meant was "climb together to a spot where we can tie the rope." She dropped the coil onto the grass, however, when Ayla immediately began moving _directly up the wall. _Marle had to muffle a screech. "What are you doing? "

"Shh. Quiet," Ayla instructed as they passed by a window. She was moving alarmingly fast and Marle was forced to shut her eyes tightly and cling to the warrior woman's back. "Where we go?"

"Uhh...it's on the top floor. Should be the only window," Marle hissed, not opening her eyes. Ayla grunted in reply and kept moving.

_What was I thinking, letting her carry me up here?_ whined Marle's conscience, but she had to admit, it was a pretty efficient way to travel.

* * *

Frog marvelled at the ease in which he was now able to move among the townspeople of Porre. In the Middle Ages, between the threat of the Frog King and the Mystic revolution, a being such as he was often considered a monster and quickly expelled from inns and even towns. It was something he'd become accustomed to in the years since acquiring his frog form, when hiding in the nearby woods, and disguising himself as he moved among the people of this very village - the town from whence both he and Cyrus had come.

It had not changed so significantly in the 400 years since he had left it, Frog thought.

Of course, he had seen this era's version of Porre in previous travels with Crono, but never had there been time to stop and meet people, or observe the ruins of remnants of the past. Rather than bothering, the sight of the occasional Mystic villager (not all of them occupied Medina, it seemed) comforted him. He felt bold enough to draw back his hood as he strode into a pub, settling wearily on one of the stools.

The bartender was brisk and pleasant. "What can I get you, friend?"

"Ale, if it be no trouble."

The man bustled away and returned a moment later with a large tankard, setting it down gently in front of Frog. "Give me a shout if y'need more."

"My thanks."

Frog's lithe body seemed almost to deflate as he sat, finally recognizing how seized it had become over the last day, running and hopping non-stop. The party had not rested since they had left Choras, where the Northern Ruins of this era had been haunted by Cyrus' ghost. Frog felt sick and weary at the thought, grateful that he had been laid to rest in his own time.

He hoped, if nothing else, that Cyrus still slept peacefully in this timeline too.

A flash of auburn caught Frog's wide eyes. He turned and saw a woman of medium height and a slim build, nervously watching him as he sipped at the ale. The woman was beautiful and he felt a slight twinge in his heart, in the same fashion he felt when he looked upon Queen Leene.

She looked like the Queen, from her reddish-blond hair to her hesitant smile, which Frog returned graciously. He could not see her eyes from across the room, but he wondered if they were green, too.

* * *

_...to be continued..._


	3. The Innkeeper's Secret

_Rewrite_

Chapter 3

* * *

When Lucca finally returned to her bedroom, after the disasterous meeting with her "mother" and a silent meal in the royal dining room, Eileen and Cora finally left her alone with her thoughts. She flopped down on the feather bed and tried to piece together what could have happened, based on what the servantwomen had told her.

_Marle and my presences outside the Timestream must be what is allowing us to continue to exist. It's the only explanation for it...but isn't that a paradox? Would he eventually just fade? We couldn't possibly exist as we were in this world...her parents were never born. And my dad married some strange woman..._ Lucca grimaced, recalling her "mother's" reaction to her.

_"Lucca...you look so different...your hair, your clothes...you're two years older..."_ And then the woman had begun to cry_. "I know it was my fault that you ran away..."_

What kind of person _was_ she in this world? Lucca didn't really want to think about it. The wife of the Steward (whoever she really was) seemed like a perfectly nice person. _But maybe that was it,_ Lucca thought to herself. _She really seems like the prim-and-proper type. Maybe the Lucca of this world was just like me after all, and she liked science and mechanics. She probably didn't want to be a "princess", going to balls, preparing to govern the country. She might have wanted to build robots, or go camping, or..._

_Or be with her friends..._

Lucca suddenly sat up. What, she wondered, was the story behind this-world Chrono? Had he been missing for two years as well? Surely his childhood had been affected just as her and Marle's had, but he too was out of the timestream's reach, safe at the End of Time. Frog had taken his place in the party before they went to retrieve the Sun Stone.

_Maybe if I can get out out of here and go to the village, I can ask after him. Someone there could know him...maybe one of the kids we went to school with. Yes, I'll have to do that. I should do some research around here, too, though...we still don't know the event that caused the alteration. Why did Choras attack the castle, and how can we prevent it, when we have no way to get to 610 A.D.? _

How much of Guardia's history has been altered by our deeds?

A scratching sound under her window made Lucca jump. "What the heck was that?"

She was halfway off the feather bed when Ayla swung through the open window, a terrified Marle attached to her back. The room was dark enough that the two girls stared at each other for a long moment before Marle broke the silence with "Is it over yet?"

"..._Ayla_? Marle!" Lucca threw herself at the cavewoman in an excited hug. "Where did you two come from?"

"Rescue," Ayla said sagely.

Marle gingerly lowered herself to the floor. "Yeah, Lucca, we weren't going to leave you here, obviously. It just took a little bit before it was dark enough to sneak in."

"Good timing. I think I just decided that I wasn't going to be needing a rescue, though." Marle looked at Lucca quizzically, who continued. "I had just been brainstorming about how we were going to fix this mess, and thinking I should stay here awhile and gather information."

"'This mess'? What exactly is going on here? Why doesn't anybody know me?"

Lucca's voice was grim. "Because somewhere along the way, the entire Royal Family got wiped out. In this timeline, you no longer exist."

Ayla uttered a curse. Marle's reaction, fortunately, was much more controlled. "Oh my God...when? What happened?"

"610," Lucca replied. "The castle was stormed by Choraen rebels. According to the servants here, power moved onto the Chancellor from there, who was an ancestor of mine. Rule has come down through _my_ family instead of yours ever since."

"But why? I don't understand. That obviously didn't happen before."

"I don't know what," Lucca said slowly, "but something we did must have caused it. Something that happened between the last time we were in this era and now."

"The last time we were here...we were having the Northern Ruins restored."

"But we didn't come back to the castle at that time," Lucca noted. "There's no way to know if the change had been made by then."

"Then...the last time we stopped in the present time's castle would be when we came back to look for the Sun Stone. That was Frog, Ayla and I."

"Ah. So everything was fine then?"

"Yeah, it was. The divergence must have happened sometime between then and now." Marle frowned. "But I can't think of what it could have been. Really, the change could have been made in _any_ era previous to this. I mean, what if this happened because by killing some reptite, one of the people of Ayla's time went on to live longer, and their descendant led the raid on Guardia? Or maybe someone we directly interacted with made some major change in their life because of this? Someone in Zeal?"

"No, not from Ayla's home," Ayla asserted. "Most Ayla's people will die now that Lavos hit. Only some live through winters."

"She's probably right. Most of the Zealians were killed too," said Lucca.

"Okay, so anyone we might have come in contact with between 12,000 B.C. and now? That's still a pretty wide margin, guys."

"Especially since not all of us were there at the time, thanks to the three-traveler restriction." Lucca frowned. "One of these days I should tool up Epoch for afew extra seats. But we need to look at what we've done between you guys finding the Stone that last time and returning here today. It's not really that much, when you think about it."

"No, but we've been to nearly every era in between." Marle, who had been a party member since before the last visit to the Present, begun to count off events on her hands. "We brought the Stone to the Sun Keep and picked it back up in the Future."

Lucca crossed her arms. "I was there, then, and we took it to my house. History hadn't changed by then."

"Ayla, Frog and Marle go to fix Frog-friend then." Ayla reminded the other girls. "In this time."

"Yeah, in Choras..._Choras._ You don't think it could have been from that time, do you?" asked Lucca.

"There's a good chance," Marle replied. "We spent a lot of time in Choras. The only ones we really interacted with were that carpenter and Toma."

"Toma. We rescued the Rainbow Shell for him after that."

"We had Leene take the shell for us, then we came here. That's all." Marle spread her hands helplessly. "We didn't _do_ anything major in that span of time! At least, not anything that ought to have affected the timeline this badly!"

"We need to do more detective work," Lucca told her. "That's why I'm going to stay here and gather all the information that I can. I was thinking of going to Truce and talking to some people that Crono and I used to know. Well...if they still exist."

"Frog's gone off to find out what he can, too," Marle replied. "He set off for the Southern Continent before I went back to get Ayla."

"Ayla not want to leave Lucca here alone," the cavewoman said, very seriously. "Could be dangerous."

Lucca sat down on the huge bed. "You two are welcome to stay if you want. I told the guards not to let _anybody_ in until I gave the okay." She looked around the room with an expression of dismay. The stone walls of the castle felt more than a little confining. "Actually, I think I'd be more comfortable if you did."

Marle's smile was both understanding and a little forlorn. "Sure, Lucca."

* * *

When Frog stepped out of the tavern, he wasn't surprised to find the woman who had been watching him earlier waiting outside the door. He halted and inclined his head. "'Tis late for a lady to be about."

"I live here," she told him quietly. "My husband and I own the pub and inn."

"Ah... Lass, though ye be familiar, 'tis sure never have we met. Dost thee want something of me?"

"I do, I think," she stammered. "It's a little bit complicated...I was given a message and told to pass it on to someone of your description."

Frog knew of none of "his description," present or past, save himself. "Interesting. What message dost thee carry?"

"It's a letter. Come to the Inn - I'll show you."

Frog allowed himself to be lead around the back of the tavern and into a smaller, nondescript door. A porch led to a homely kitchen, sparsely decorated with light green curtains. The woman gestured at the rough wooden table. "Have a seat. I'll run and fetch the letter."

Frog sat at the table, wondering at this new development. Could the letter possibly really be for him? He knew no one in this time outside of the people with which he had been traveling. He did not have much time to wonder, however, as the red-haired woman reappeared with an aged and yellowing envelope pretected by a glass box. "First, sir, may I know your name, and ensure that you really are the owner of the letter? There are several supposed recipiants, and the instructions were complex."

"I am called Frog," he told her. "And you are...?"

"Aliza," she replied. "Aliza Bell. 'Frog' is not one of the names, however, the directions that were given to me were that thefrog-man was once known as another."

"...mine name is Glenn," he told her quietly.

"Then, this is for you, Sir Glenn." She set the glass box on the table.

* * *

_...to be continued..._


	4. The Guardia Legacy

_Rewrite_

Chapter 4

Author's Note: Despite nobody seeming to like this piece enough to review, I'm still going. :P

* * *

When the sun rose over the kingdom, Marle was awakened by the rays falling over her closed eyes, coupled with the somewhat-creepy sensation of a sleeping Ayla spooning with her. She shifted slightly and opened one eye to peek at Lucca, who seemed to have at least three-quarters of the huge bed to herself. The young scientist was still sleeping peacefully.

Marle freed herself from Ayla's grasp and sat up, trying not to disturb her sleeping companions. The sun pouring in through the window was just at the position it used to be in the late morning at home, spilling lazily across red velvet duvet. In this world, the comforter was blue and mostly kicked to the floor by the other two girls.

The princess rose and exited the bed by way of the footboard, stretching as she went. It was a beautifully clear day outside, cloudless and sunny, rather reminiscent of the weather Marle had observed on the way to the Millennial Fair what seemed like a lifetime ago. She sighed, leaning heavily on the windowsill.

"Are you all right?" Lucca's unfocused eyes were aimed in her direction. One hand groped for her glasses on the night table.

"Yeah." The word was an exhalation. Marle put her head down, feeling her bangs brush against the skin of her arms. "I guess I just don't know what to make of all this."

"That makes two of us." Lucca looked pale in a set of too-big purple pajamas. Her hair was mussed and her eyes slightly bleary behind the lenses of her glasses.

"I never got along well with my dad," Marle said thoughtfully, even though Lucca could not help but know that. "But now that he's gone, well..._now_ I'm normal, and for once I want my old life back."

"Me too." Lucca frowned. "I don't know where my mom is either. I mean, I met someone yesterday who claimed to be her...but it wasn't her. It was someone else altogether."

"That's not really possible though, right? How could you exist if your dad married someone else?"

"In that case, how do _you_ exist?"

"You're right." Marle sighed. "I guess this is just one big mess. We'll have to figure it out somehow."

"That's the plan. We'll fix this and return the timeline to normal - no problem. I promise." Lucca put her arms behind her head and stretched, her glasses slipping down on her nose. "I mean, it's not like we don't have Epoch. We just have to figure out what caused the disturbance and fix it, right?"

"Right." Gratefully Marle enfolded Lucca in a hug, trying to conceal the way her shoulders shook with fear. She didn't want Lucca or Ayla to see her frightened. If Lucca noticed, she pretended not to, and squeezed back.

A knock on the door roused Ayla and broke the hug apart. "Lady Lucca! Are you awake?"

"Uh...yes." Lucca glanced at Marle with a frown and spoke in whispers. "That's Cora, the maid. I guess it doesn't really matter if she sees you guys here, if I'm supposed to be Miss Almost-Royalty now."

"I guess so." Marle still looked doubtful. Ayla had flopped back down into the bed but was eyeing the door suspiciously.

"I just wanted to check on you...are you hungry? Did I wake you?"

Lucca strode to the entranceway and answered the voice. "I'm fine, Cora, thank you, and you didn't wake me. Might be hungry...are we hungry?"

"Ayla hungry."

"Yeah, a little."

Lucca unlocked the huge door and admitted the maid, who stopped suddenly when she realized that the room contained not just one pajama-clad charge, but two, plus a feral-looking woman lounging on the bed. Lucca's pajamas hadn't fit Ayla, so they had outfitted her in a camisole and wrap. "Um..."

Lucca interrupted further questioning by pointing at the princess. "This is my best friend, Marle, And this is another friend, Ayla. Guys, this is Cora."

"Hello." Lucca would have to remind Ayla to cut down on the toothy grins when she was being introduced to people.

"Nice to meet you."

"It's a pleasure." Cora looked from Ayla to Lucca bewilderedly. "Lady Lucca, when did your friends arrive?"

"Last night. They were worried about me, so I had them stay." Neither of the girls looked particularly apologetic. "Hey, did Dad come home?"

"Yes, your father arrived late last night, but he's already gone to Truce Village. He left this morning and is supposed to return by nightfall."

"That's fine, it'll give me a chance to get cleaned up." _And to do some detective work about what Lucca Ashtear is supposed to be like in this world. _"Hey, did you say something about breakfast?"

"Of course." Cora smiled warmly and tilted her head, her gaze moving from pink pajamas to purple. "What can I bring you girls?"

"Anything's fine," Lucca assured her, waving a hand for emphasis. She admitted to herself that she could really go for some of Taban's fried sausages and scrambled eggs, something she'd been lacking ever since the day she stepped into that Gate, but she could do without a while longer.

Marle, ever used to being waited on, didn't even hesitate. "French toast with syrup and powdered sugar, please."

"That'll be fine for all of us." Lucca cut Ayla off before she could demand something outrageous. The cavewoman looked like she cared little, shrugging and grinning toothily.

"French toast it is, then. I'll be back shortly!" The maid left the room and closed the door behind her, leaving the party of three alone.

"It's probably best if you two sneak out before anyone has a chance to ask too many questions," Lucca advised. "Especially if they're going to keep accusing Marle of kidnapping me."

"Where should we go?" Marle asked, hands stilling halfway through the creation of her ponytail. "What about you?"

"I can take care of myself," Lucca replied with a wink. "Besides, we all have to do some detective work, and I'd rather not have you guys thrown in the dungeon for kidnapping – or worse, up for execution, the way Crono was that time."

Marle winced.

Lucca busily laced up her boots while Marle continued to tame her long red hair. "So – is it a deal? I go find out about Crono, and you try to get some information?"

"And find froggie!" Ayla suggested.

"Frog said he'd meet me at Epoch, before sunrise, on the third night after we split up," Marle informed them. "We have until then to figure out what's wrong with this era."

"So we meet up tomorrow night, north of the forest?"

"Right." Marle's hands settled in her lap as she glanced out the window in the direction of the time machine.

"We go, then," said Ayla.

* * *

_September 23, 649 A.D._

_Dear Glenn, _the letter read, _I hope this message finds you well, if it is to find you at all, but as I might guess the circumstances under which you have received it, you must not be. I can only hope that I am able to answer some pressing questions for you._

_This crucial message leaves little room for the formalities of court, and by this time, they have all but left me. I will begin by assuring you that what rumours you may have heard of my death in 610 are all untrue, and I hope that if you grieved for me (pray not!) I might now put your fears to rest. _

Frog was somewhat grateful he had heard no such rumours. His webbed fingers tightened over the flowing script of familiar handwriting - it was unmistakably Leene's.

_Still, I must be the bearer of bad news. It is true that in 610 a tragedy befell the Castle, one that I feel certain could not have come to pass without the interference of Crono and his friends. The castle was raided by villagers who had heard tell of the great Rainbow Shell and its mysterious properties, people of the small village of Choras. I learned long after the raid that these men had intended the shell's use to fortify weapons and armour to wage war on a nearby Mystic settlement. They stormed the castle and killed my husband in order to steal the Shell, and I too was taken. My daughter and I were spirited to a Chorean home and imprisoned forl months while the rebels attempted to discover the Shell's secret. They still had not been able to utilize it when I was released one day by a sympathetic maid, and fled on foot._

_We found passage to the village of Porre, where we hid in the forest den that you once called home. I knew of it only by your description, but found it nevertheless, hoping you would one day return. I stayed there, concealing myself from the rebel group, lest they be watching for my return to the Palace. I knew that the Chancellor - a man named Ashtear, whom you never met, for you had never returned to use after departing with Marle and Lucca that day you left the Shell in my keeping - had come to power, when all had presumed me dead. I thought to return to the Castle after I had hidden for several months._

_As time passed I came to realize that what had taken place that night of the raid could not have been fated. I have no experience with this phenomenon called time travel beyond your stories, yet it became clear that the Shell's presence in the castle had altered the flow. Without it, for what cause would there have been such an invasion? And if the Chancellor's descendants truly claimed the throne, how could Marle been born into the royal line?_

_I thought that perhaps this truly was Fate, and Fate decreed that I return to Guardia and retake the throne as was my right, raising my daughter to be the next Queen - but I weakened - for still I felt that this timeline was truly wrong. I refused to believe that you had died, perhaps fighting Lavos, and never come home. For ten long years since your departure I anguished. I refused to believe that without the Shell's presence in the castle, the Choreans would have invaded and effectively wiped out the monarchy. Had I returned to Guardia Castle, I could not be sure that things could again turn for the worse, and should I perish, things never be set to rights.._

_So I stayed in the Forest, eventually disguising myself and living in Porre once Aliena was old enough to need schooling. I thought that if I could forget who I was and raise her as a normal child, someday I or my descendants would meet you, the flow would be set to rights, and this timeline would fade from existence. Despite the embittered idea that my life would have eventually been for naught, I continued, so that you, Lucca and Marle would return four hundred years later (a mere blink for you) to a future that could somehow be repaired._

_And yet, my prayers were not answered during my lifetime, and so I have written this letter for you (and if it has fallen to Lucca, Crono or one of the others, I pray you find Frog well also) and entrusted it to my daughter. She has recently married, a villager from Truce, and has little idea of her true identity as princess of this land. I do not know if Marle will ever be born, for if the timeline has truly diverged from what you knew, my efforts to expose her to the same population she might have courted as a noble may have been for naught. I can only hope that she is also well and pray things may be set to right, so that she never need suffer from knowing her lost heritage. For that, please apologize to her from the bottom of my heart._

_Alas, once this letter reaches your hand, my death will have long since come to pass. Do not grieve - we shall see each other very soon, upon your return to Guardia. You _must_ return and repair our mistakes - I beg of you - conceal the Shell in the Treasury, and ensure it is never spoken of again. If rumours of its existence are quenched before they start, we all may survive to see the futures we hope for. Strengthen the guard in the castle on the night of May 6, 910, and I pray you - _

_Please return safely to us, Glenn._

_All my love,_

_Leene_

Frog's lips formed a line as he organized this new information. The Queen kidnapped, the royal line eliminated - this could only be the reasoning for Marle's snubbing at the castle. But the contents of the letter disturbed him to the core. Had the Shell really caused such a change in the timeline? It must be true - 1000 A.D. had only changed after the Shell had been placed in the castle. But why had he never returned to his time?

Aliza interrupted the swordsman's thoughts, looking at him gravely over the yellowed parchment. "That letter has been passed down through my family for three hundred and fifty years. When I was sixteen, I was entrusted with it, and told that I would most likely be the one to find its recipient, in the year 1000. Was it truly written by my ancestor, just for you? How is that possible?"

Frog sighed heavily. "'Tis true the letter is mine. But how your ancestor came to know I would receive it in this year is a complicated story, Lady."

"Your speech is so strange," she told him with a blush. "But I would like to hear this story, if you don't mind telling it. You're welcome to stay at the Inn as well, tonight - no charge."

"I thank thee. Mayhaps thy hand in delivering the letter merits my favour as well, enough to know its story."

"I'd like that."

As Aliza sat down, a portrait on the wall caught Frog's eye, of a redheaded young lady who looked to be in her mid-teens. Her hair was loose and straight, falling to her shoulders, and she wore a wide smile and a white tunic.

Frog gulped. "The picture there...whom might that be?"

"Ah." Aliza smiled brightly, her eyes following Frog's to look upon the girl. "That's my daughter, Nadia."

* * *

Lucca left the castle with far less flourish than she had entered it, clad in full Adventure Girl regalia. The only item she had left behind was her helmet, as it often made her stand out at times when she was trying to blend in.

Ayla and Marle had departed through the bedroom window shortly after a filling breakfast of French toast with syrup and icing sugar. Lucca had to admit, that was one aspect of the noble life that she wouldn't mind getting used to. A flippant wave to the maids with the instructions "don't hold dinner," however, had earned her twin looks of horror, and Lucca had had to promise that she would, indeed, come back. Once that was settled, she proceeded without further harassment, waltzing confidently in one end of the forest and out the other to emerge in Truce Village.

It hadn't changed much since she'd last seen it, but that did little to set Lucca's mind at ease. The village houses were familiar and a little comforting to Lucca after the cold stone walls of the castle.

Down by the market were the two houses Lucca was looking for; Crono's on the outskirts of town, her own within sight on the nearby peninsula. But when she paused outside the little two-storey house that was once her home, she faltered. _What will I see if I look in there? My real mother? A stranger? A friend? Is it worth checking, if this timeline is going to be wiped out of existence tomorrow night?_ In her timeline, the house's original owner had once been her Grandfather Organa, passed on to Lara before she married. Lucca wasn't really sure she wanted to know who now inhabited her house. Crono's fate was supposed to be what she was investigating. But despite herself, Lucca forced back her apprehension and peered hesitantly through the smudged glass of the kitchen window.

No one was inside.

Unsure whether to be disappointed or relieved, Lucca stealthily moved around the other side of the house to check the living room, hoping to see Lara standing there on two healthy legs. But the living room was empty as well, causing Lucca's stomach to churn unpleasantly.

_It can't be that the accident still happened, somehow, can it? Could she be upstairs, sitting on the windowsill, bitter and alone? No…that can't be. There were no machines in the kitchen to cause it. But…_

_Fate works in strange ways…and it doesn't care about people like Mom…_

Lucca ran to the front door, as unlocked as ever – the people of Truce had never had cause to fear break-ins and theft – and quietly let herself into the kitchen. Though the arrangements had changed, the furniture was all familiar and inviting, from her grandmother's old oak table to Lara's polished kitchen knives.

For once her sense of rationality was being overpowered by emotion and fear, a fact that frightened Lucca nearly as much as what she was doing did. Still, she crept up the stairs and uncertainly peeked into what had been her parents' room.

Between her sudden nobility, the erasure of a friend from existence, the incredible history of Guardia combined with all the things she had seen in the past weeks – an Earth ravaged by destruction, the death and resurrection of her best friend, the ghost of Cyrus and more – Lucca had thought nothing would be able to take _her_ by surprise again, and yet what she saw in her mother's room still managed to prove her wrong. Lara was smiling radiantly, outfitted in a simple blue dress, her hair loose over her shoulders, and _standing_, facing a person that was unmistakably Taban. He wore a simple tunic and trousers, and a smile bigger than Lucca had seen on her father in years. Though she hadn't made a noise, Lucca froze with shock, and both pairs of eyes turned to stare at her. "Uh…hi there."

"Oh!" Taban smiled. "I was wondering when you'd be home. I wanted to see you."

"Welcome home, honey," Lara said excitedly. "You've been gone so long! Did you and Crono have fun? Where did you go? What a nice surprise to have you and your father back at once!"

"Oh…yeah, I just wasn't, uh, feeling well, so I came back…for a bit." Whatever Lucca had been expecting her parents to say, this certainly was not it. "What are you guys doing today…?" Inwardly, she winced. _Idiot, can't you think of something better than that?_

"Well, your father _just_ got here, so we were talking about his trip to the Eastern Continent." Lara smiled at Taban.

"Right," said Lucca, a little too cheerfully. "How was it? You were gone…awhile." Another wince.

"It was fine, but a bit boring of course! I missed you girls, but I brought back presents. Check your room when you get a chance." Taban winked at Lucca, a move so familiar that a chill shot up Lucca's spine. _This is surreal. How can these be my parents, if my parents are supposed to be the Steward and his wife? What kind of double life is the alter-Lucca living?_

"Oh, and you'll never guess what's happened at the castle – Taban was just saying….well, tell her, Taban!"

Her father nodded, flopping down into the armchair. "When I got home last night, they told me that Lucca had been found – your half-sister, remember?"

"Half…sister?" Lucca stared dumbly at her parents.

Taban rolled his eyes. "Come _on_, you didn't _forget_ about her, did you? My wife's – Sheska's daughter. I distinctly remember telling you when she ran off."

"Yeah, I, uh, forgot. What happened there, again?"

"Well…" Taban frowned. "I can't say I know _exactly_ why she ran away, but she's her father's daughter, just like you…she liked mechanics and exploring and science. So I imagine she left because she wasn't interested in what the Palace had to offer."

Lucca stared at Taban incredulously. "You sound like you don't even care."

"That's untrue. I just…well, I know what it's like to want to escape from there. If I hadn't met your mother I probably would have made a break for it too…Sheska and I were always fighting and I never wanted the Stewardship. So I know how Lucca feels, especially since her mother arranged her marriage, too."

"She's _engaged?_"

"Yeah – didn't I tell you? To some silly little noble from Choras. Ah, palace life is so irritating! I knew she'd come back – I'm not stupid, I knew where she was. She'd surely gone down to Porre. What _I_ wasn't expecting was for her to come back so soon, knowing that she'd have to go through with the marriage now that she's sixteen. I wonder if someone didn't bring her in by force." He smiled, but the emotion didn't reach his eyes. "You should be glad you have your freedom. I'd hate for you to be locked in there like Lucca was."

"Poor Lucca…I suppose Sheska is happy to have her home, though." Lara looked genuinely sympathetic, considering that (as far as Lucca could tell) she was talking about the legal wife of her sweetheart. Lucca was going to need a long few minutes to puzzle all of this out before relaying it to Marle.

"I guess so." Lucca didn't feel like explaining to Lara why that wasn't even close to the truth. Instead, she took a step backwards and turned back toward the stairs. "Well, I'm going to lie down a bit in my room…I'm not feeling my best."

"Of course. Hope it clears up, sweetheart." Taban waved jovially. "Enjoy your present!"

"I will," Lucca promised as she slipped down the stairs and entered her room, avoiding the white box on the bed as she flopped on top of the covers. "What…the…hell…"

The puzzle she had been mentally trying to assemble the previous night, which was already difficult enough, had just gained a couple hundred pieces and been tossed in a blender for extra fun. There was a second Lucca in this timeline? Not to mention an arranged marriage, and who knew what else…

Even more shocking was the fact that Taban was _rather obviously_ in a relationship with Lara, and had to have been for at least sixteen years in order for Lucca to have been born. Did the Steward's wife - now that Lucca knew her name, she realized, she ought to call her _Sheska_ – know about his affair with a villager? Impossible. Taban must have been concealing it from everyone.

For the single question meeting her parents had answered – _"Did you and Crono have fun?"_ – dozens more were now clamoring to be put to rest. So Crono was indeed safe and well, though Lucca couldn't quite figure out where she herself was supposed to have been, that Lara had been so surprised to see her. _Crono and I were gone somewhere for a long time – of course. Time continues to pass in the era you've left, so maybe our absence here is because we were time-traveling…if I really am the same person as in the natural timeline…_

But that didn't explain everything either…if that was truly how things has worked in this strange world, then she wouldn't find Crono at his house – he'd be at the End of Time, just as she had left him. But if that was so, how had their adventure begun at all? Without Marle – and there was no denying it, she was very much missing from this era – Crono and she would not have gone to 600 A.D. in the first place. And without that…

_Nothing we've done so far could have happened, including whatever event caused the timeline to diverge. So this era's existence is, as it is, paradoxical._

"GAH! I HATE this, why can't things just make sense!" Lucca buried her face in the pillow and screamed.

* * *

"I don't even know where to start," Marle confessed with a frown. She and Ayla were crossing the bridge between the northern Guardia area and the Southern Continent, conversation having dwindled after the young princess tried to explain the situation in terms Ayla would understand. They had opted to get as far away from the castle as possible before starting to investigate things. "I guess we could talk to the people in the shops and Inns, trying to get information on the cause of the 610 riot."

"Ask for what happen. People of present time read! Must be written," Ayla mimed engraving, using a miniature chisel and mallet, "for grandchildren to know. Ayla's people write important things for keeping."

"When we reach Porre, we should ask… I suppose it'd be in a history book or something, wouldn't it?"

Ayla's nodded reply was enthusiastic, even though Marle didn't think she knew what "history book" meant. She chuckled to herself, and they pressed on.

* * *

_...to be continued..._


	5. Come Undone

A/N: Thanks to Velocity for her review of chapter 4, it got me motivated to dredge up and finish chapter 5. n.n

This one's a little shorter, but I didn't want to go back to Lucca just yet.

* * *

**Rewrite**

Chapter 5

_By Shimegami-chan_

* * *

"Is something wrong?" Aliza looked concerned at Frog's reaction.

"Ah…nay, Lady, 'tis my imagination, to be sure…but the lass looks like someone I know, and I suppose it makes sense." He sighed heavily. "Still, 'tis growing more and more confusing by the moment."

"Why don't you tell me?" Aliza smiled and gestured to the tiny stove. "Here, I'll put on some tea."

Frog loosened the ruffled collar of his cape and frowned, blinking down at the table. "I am not of this era…I was born in 574 A.D., and came here from 600 A.D., carried by a machine that transcends time. I serve the Royal Court of Guardia, the Queen Leene and King Guardia XXI."

"Oh my." Aliza's eyes widened.

"Truthfully, Lady, 'tis a difficult tale to swallow, and I would fault thee not if I were to be disbelieved. But mine words are truth; a skilled swordsman appeared before me one day, assisting me in a rescue of my liege. He was a boy from this era, and a lass was with him, who came through a portal and wielded magics like the writings of the Old World describe…I joined them in their quest, which has led us through many strange times and worlds. We sought to confront a powerful enemy in the distant future, but somewhere a mistake was made, and the timeline hath changed from what we knew. This letter…" he touched the yellowed paper, webbed fingers gentle on the delicate material, "was written by Queen Leene, the Queen I am honoured to serve in mine own time."

"Queen Leene?" Aliza looked shocked, her green eyes widening. "The last of the Guardian Dynasty?"

"Not the last, Lady, not in thine era nor mine. The letter detailed the Royal Family's fall and Leene's effort to repair it by seeking me…'tis my duty now to return to the past and prevent the disaster from happening. Truly, 'tis amazing that it arrived safely in mine hands."

Aliza's brow furrowed as she processed the information. "But I was always told that it was written by my ancestor…it's been passed down through my family for eleven generations."

"Tis true," Frog said gently. "Thou art descended of royalty – the letter said the Queen entrusted it to her daughter."

"But the Dynasty ended four centuries ago. How could that be true? I, I do not remember it, my schooling was so long ago – but –"

"There was an attack, where the Queen and the Princess were taken and imprisoned. But they lived," Frog continued quietly. "And in the timeline that I knew, such a thing never was…the Guardian family ruled, even in 1000 A.D. The Crown Princess looketh similar to thine daughter, and she is called Marle."

The mention of the name stopped Aliza short. "That can't be…" She avoided looking Frog in the eyes. "Marle is…Nadia's nickname. Her father called her by that name as a child."

Equally stunned, the swordsman was speechless for a moment. Finally, he replied, "I was introduced to the lass by only Marle. Mayhaps, in the Court, she is called Nadia as well. Though I pray I understand the situation better now…and my Queen's words more correct than she could have known…Fate could not preventeth the attack on the castle, but hath shown its hand in continuing the family line. Perhaps, 'tis only by coincidence, but the Queen's daughter must have married the same commoner in the true timeline, else thy existence cannot be explained."

"You're saying that we're descendants of the Guardia line?" Aliza said incredulously.

"'Tis no mistaking it. Lady Aliza…then, where art the lass? I should like to meet her."

"She's away." Aliza frowned. "She went with friends…it's been a few weeks. I don't know when she'll be back."

_Away…mayhaps with Crono and Lucca, _Frog realized suddenly. _Then if my Queen's words ring true…things can indeed be set to rights…_

* * *

"And now what the hell do I do?" Lucca said out loud, scowling at the plain white ceiling of her room. Crono gone, her parents living in sin or something, Marle and Ayla off who-knew-where…she wasn't sure how to proceed. Looking for any of them was pretty much a lost cause. _But I have to try, don't I? _she thought. _If I can't find Crono, I'd better look for Frog or the other girls. At least I have a _vague_ idea where to go for that._

Though something within Lucca wanted her to stay and enjoy this time with her parents, she knew she shouldn't. She felt…guilty somehow, even though in her opinion everyone was better off in the "real" timeline. _But they looked so happy…I hadn't seen Dad smile like that in a long time, and Mom looks radiant. I wish…_

_I wish I could fix things so that they work out for everyone. But I don't belong here, and Marle…Marle has no one…so this timeline has to…disappear._

Along with everything in it – Cora, and the Stewardship, and the other Lucca, and her mother's legs…it all had to go. Blinking back tears, Lucca stumbled to her feet and ran out of the house.

* * *

"Looking for history." Again Ayla mimed the chiseling of characters into stone. "You no have?"

The shopkeeper looked baffled. Marle covered her mouth with her hands, trying to stop giggling. "I told you already…here, we write on paper, not stones." She pointed at a volume on the bookshelf, bound in red leather. "Like that."

"Ohh…those things. Ayla not know what they were. Thought maybe good to eat."

"Maybe if you got really hungry," Marle answered dryly. "But I guess you don't have what we need, sir – history books?"

"No, Miss, I'm afraid we don't." the shopkeeper said apologetically. "You could try at the school, I suppose."

"We did already, and it was closed…but thanks." She led Ayla outside, where stars were already visible in the dusken sky. "That's pretty much it for Porre. No new information, and no sign of Frog – I guess he went somewhere else. So what do we do now?"

Ayla yawned.

A second later, Marle did as well. After shaking her head to clear it, she put her hands on her hips. "Well, I guess that answers that. Are we sleeping out here or staying at an Inn?"

Ayla cocked her head. "Here is fine."

The princess sighed. "What am I thinking? We're in the middle of a town. Why would I bother with the ground when I can have a soft bed?" With a grin, Marle led the way across the town square to the tiny village Inn, a red brick building attached to a pub. "Great. A bed and then breakfast in the morning. Things are looking up."

"Slept in bed yesterday, ate breakfast too." Ayla pointed out. "At castle."

"Yeah, but eating at home is different from breakfast at an Inn," Marle argued. "Well…it was kind of home. You know what I mean."

The cavewoman shrugged.

The young princess opened the door, triggering a tinkling of bells and a woman's voice a room or two away. "Coming!"

A moment later a redheaded woman appeared from the opposite doorway, wearing a simple brown dress and her wavy hair in a low ponytail, fastened with a green ribbon. Close on her heels was Frog, minus cape, his expression very thoughtful. Marle opened her mouth to exclaim at their companion before taking much notice of the girl. "Frog! We've found you!"

Aliza cocked her head. "Nadia…?"

"Ah--!" The amphibian looked shocked, his eyes darting from Marle's face to Ayla's. "Marle…'tis a coincidence, I was to set out looking for you come morning…but 'tis better that thee's here."

But the older woman's question had drawn Marle's attention. "Who's this…?"

Frog intervened before Aliza could answer. "Lasses, methinks the story must be told again to all if 'tis to be worked out…nay, thee must read my Queen's letter. But I have learned the point of the timeline's alteration, and knoweth how it must be set to rights. This lady, Aliza, is the descendant of the Queen – but t'isn't it true that you should already know one another? Is it not your mother, lass…?"

"My mother…?" Marle's mouth had gone dry. She knew the woman now, but only from the portraits on the wall, and a child's memories. This Aliza was older, but undeniably the same. "It, it is…oh my God…"

"I don't understand," Aliza confessed, turning to Frog. "She looks just like my daughter…but she doesn't know me. Is this my child who left home three weeks ago? Or another, a manipulation of your time travel?"

"She is the lass I told thee of; the Crown Princess of Guardia."

"Outside the timestream…that's what Lucca said!" Marle cried, her voice wavering. "Those of us outside the timestream when our eras changed – Lucca, me, Crono, maybe Robo too – aren't affected, or at least haven't been yet. So I'm not…your daughter…not really. But…you look just like my mother…" The princess paused and averted her eyes. "She died when I was young."

Frog's voice was gentle as he stepped close and laid a cool hand on Marle's shoulder. "Truly, thou mightn't feel like her child, lass. But she is yet thine mother, the same who gave thee life in thine own timeline."

"So, not die here?" Ayla asked frankly.

Aliza looked ill. "In your world, I've…?"

Marle winced and wrapped both arms around herself. "She was sick…just a simple virus that was treated too late. I guess it never happened here."

"I'm so sorry." It must have been surreal trying to make sense of everything, but still Aliza stepped forward and gathered Marle into a hug, "Nadia…no, Marle. You must have had a hard time."

"Yeah…" All the Princess' breath left her with the word. Aliza felt the same as Marle had always remembered her mother; the sweet scent of freshly-washed hair cloying at her nostrils. She was afraid to believe it all, but maybe it really was true… "My father and I talked recently about it, and I thought I was okay with it. I think she would be happy to see me now."

"I'm sure she would." No one, least of all Aliza, needed to assure Marle that she was the leading expert on How Aliza Would Feel about such things. Instead she hugged her daughter even tighter, trying not to think about the implications of the events that had happened since these strange travelers had walked into her life. "Why don't you girls come in and have something to eat, and we'll talk? You're welcome to stay as long as you wish."

* * *

Later, Marle was very sullen. Though Ayla could not quite understand why, Frog decided it best to leave the princess be, for he thought the lass – lady, really, but he had grown used to thinking of her as a lass before he had ever discovered her lineage - far too strong to seek help for such an issue, and truthfully he was uncertain how best to deal with it. She was being asked to destroy a timeline where her mother lived peacefully and she had all the freedom she could desire, and return to one in which she was practically a captive under the single guardianship of her aging father. But surely the girl knew that the rogue timeline must be undone, that they must set things to rights and return to their original mission – defeating Lavos.

The three of them had compared stories, and without a doubt, the crux of the matter lay within the keeping of the Rainbow Stone, just as Leene had warned. It would hopefully be a simple mission to return to 600 A.D. and instruct the King to conceal the shell and obliterate all records of it, if possible. Warning the Queen of the past would be a safeguard to ensure that the Royal Family left the Palace on the night of May 6, 1910. In the end, Frog thought, for all their worry and trouble, thanks to the Queen's letter it was a simple matter to prevent the tragedy. Troublingly, he also kept wondering if the only person truly being adversely affected by the change was himself.

And so Frog was unsurprised when, the next morning, Marle instructed him and Ayla to return to Truce alone, wanting to join them after spending some time with Aliza. Frog warned against what might happen if Marle was within the timestream when the line was destroyed, but she assured him she would return before they were to meet Lucca at Epoch. Wishing to leave the mother and daughter in peace, he and Ayla set out the next morning without delay.

Frog just hoped that Marle knew what she was doing.

* * *

-_to be continued..._


	6. And These Words Will Vanish

A/N: Like sands through the hourglass, so is Lucca's life. :P

* * *

Rewrite

Chapter 6

by Shimegami-chan

* * *

Lucca spent the night in the woods on the outskirts of Porre, unable to bear the idea of sleeping alone in that dark room in Guardia Castle. It was funny; when she was younger and more inclined to girlish temptations, she had imagined the home of the royals as being a splendid golden palace filled with glittering jeweled decoration. She hadn't thought about that childlike misconception in years, but she remembered the surprise she'd felt the first time she'd seen the inside of the castle. It seemed so much more aged on the inside, even though the exterior was what staved off elements and attacks. The blue turrets and stained glass windows seemed so much more heroic from afar - even the ruby detailing of the Middle Ages version seemed more welcoming at that point to Lucca.

It hadn't taken her long to find Epoch and sneak it out of the forest under the cover of night. She'd thought about taking the ship back to the End of Time or returning to a safer era to sleep that night, but she couldn't bear the thought of facing Crono and Robo to ask them for companionship. If Marle and the others had filled them in on the situation, then surely the company of her two best friends was just what she needed...but for some reason Lucca felt selfish for being so depressed. After all, _she_ wasn't the one who had potentially been erased from the timeline. Too late, as Lucca lay under the shelter of Epoch, she wondered if it was safe for Marle to be wandering about this era at all, particularly when she and Ayla had neither Gate Key nor Epoch to return them in a hurry. She resolved to bring the ship back to Truce first thing in the morning, royal search party or no.

Frog was still in Porre, she thought, and Marle and Ayla had been intending to head south as well when they'd parted yesterday morning. She hadn't encountered any of them during her quick trip into town, though, probably due to the late hour. She'd wandered Truce for hours the previous day before finally realizing that she wasn't going to get any closer to solving the mysteries by wallowing in her misery. Crono was definitely not in the era, though the villagers knew his name enough to say that he hadn't been seen in a while. She'd even grown desperate enough to ask Crono's mother where he might be, holding her breath until she was sure Gina wouldn't think she was the missing princess. The woman seemed preoccupied, though, saying that he was still out and had irresponsibly left the cats in her care, and wasn't he with you, dear? She'd asked how Marle was doing, and Lucca found that she didn't know what to respond. She slipped out of the house and headed north for the Guardia Forest, and the spot where she'd hoped Ayla and Marle had left Epoch.

At least Lucca could take some comfort in the fact that her character in this timeline wasn't very different from usual.

After spending a fitful night sleeping under the ship and eventually sitting straight up in the pilot's seat - who _knew_ what the woods were like in this era? - Lucca woke up with her face in the console and the ends of her violet hair in her mouth. She felt as though she'd been trampled by an army of Mystics, and her stomach gnawed at itself. She didn't _feel_ as though she'd gotten any sleep, though her chronometer argued otherwise. The sun was high over the cover of the woods - it was nearly noon.

_That's fine,_ Lucca told herself. _Not like I found out anything useful yesterday anyway. I just have to hope that Frog and the others were able to get some information._ She wasn't quite sure what to do with herself; going back to the castle would just get her locked up (and it wasn't safe to fly Epoch near the place in daylight, really) and nothing had come of her investigating in Truce but trouble. Crono was gone and she had no idea where to find Frog, or the duo of Marle and Ayla, even if the four of them did happen to be in the same area. The Southern Continent was a pretty big place if you knew where to hide.

_The only one who needs to hide their face is Frog,_ Lucca reminded herself. _And he's perfectly capable of defending himself even from the angriest of mobs. But if anyone's looking for the 'missing princess,' that's_ me, _not Marle._ Maybe it wasn't such a hot idea for her to be wandering around either, but then again the only ones convinced that she was the Steward's daughter were the castle staff. The citizens of Truce hadn't batted an eye at the girl that was clearly Lara Organa's daughter.

Sighing, Lucca ran her hands through her dark hair and wished she had taken her helmet with her. She wasn't going to do any good to the party by sitting here all day; even down South there had to be something she could do to help the others. She'd start by finding one group or the other, right after breakfast. Lucca was still thinking about what to get to eat when she was alerted to a muted scuffling sound coming from the underbelly of the Epoch.

Lucca froze. _Monsters? Great. And all I've got with me are the weaker backup weapons...well, let's see how the whatever-it-is likes Fire 2..._ Grabbing a Shock Wave gun from the storage chest behind her seat, she eased open the clear canopy of the ship, intending to exit right through the glass and surprise the enemy. Stealthily she re-lowered the protective covering as she perched on the sloped hood of the machine, and when it was solidly shut she whispered the incantation that brought flame to one hand while the other was ready to go for her pistol as needed.

_There's no time like the present._ Silently laughing at the terrible pun, Lucca swept her bag to the side with her free hand and launched herself from the lip of Epoch, landing in a crouch and whirling to face the monster before it had time to register her presence. "_Hold it!_"

Her enemy let out a yelp and dropped whatever it had been holding. "Wha- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to touch anything, I was just having a look at it!" When Lucca's vision cleared and her stomach caught up with her, she saw the 'monster' was just a human...a girl, probably around Lucca's own age. She had waist-length purple hair that framed wide blue eyes and wore a pair of pilot's goggles as a makeshift headband. Her clothes were simple and well-worn; a light blue tunic and brown trousers, and a belt full of tools was secured at her waist.

"You were...just looking at the ship." The fire in Lucca's palm flickered and died. "Christ, I'm sorry, I thought you were something a little more dangerous. I didn't mean to scare you."

"No, uh..." the girl looked extremely distressed. "My mistake. But if you don't mind me asking...how did you just do that, with your hand...?"

Belatedly Lucca realized that she'd just done something that could potentially get her arrested as a Mystic sympathizer in this era, for all she knew. "Ah...it's just a trick I picked up. An illusion, you know."

"But _this_ isn't an illusion," the girl marveled, directing her gaze at the underbelly of the ship. "It's magnificent. What is its purpose? Surely it flies, does it?"

"Oh!" Even though Lucca hadn't been the one to build it, she felt a rush of pride that someone had taken such interest in the craft. Generally when people asked about Epoch, it was because they were afraid of or wanted to steal it. "Well, yes, of course it flies! I'm a traveler, and I just stopped here to rest for the night, but you know how some people are with technology...so I docked it in the woods."

"Well thought," the girl agreed, picking her tool up off the ground. Lucca saw that it was simply a magnifying glass that she'd been using to inspect the lift mechanism. "Did you build it?"

"Oh, no, I only wish," Lucca said with a laugh. "I just fly it."

The girl, who Lucca had finally decided looked oddly familiar, clasped her hands together. "Someday, I'd like to be able to build something like this. I'm an inventor." She smiled. "But I haven't made it big yet. You know how it is."

"Do I ever." Lucca put a hand to her head. "I guess we have a few things in common. I didn't even introduce myself after going and nearly attacking you, I..."

At that moment, Lucca finally realized who this mystery girl had to be. _Oh, no...no way. This can't be the princess, can it? If that's the case, I can't tell her my name...my name is HER name! I don't even know what the version of me in this timeline is supposed to be called! And it's not like she's going to tell me who SHE really is..._

Similarly, the maybe-princess seemed to have completed Lucca's sentence in her head and could only stutter out an "Uh..."

Lucca barked a laugh. "Well, now that I think about it, that's not really important, you know? I have secrets I need to keep, and I bet you do too." _Oh yeah, nice save there. Go ahead and tell her that you can blow her cover at any time, right?_

If the princess caught on to her companion's thoughts, she didn't say - she was busy trying to cover up a relieved smile. "I feel the same way. But don't run off just yet, please - won't you stay and talk awhile? It's been a while since I've actually kept conversation with anyone."

Dimly Lucca realized that this was the opportunity she'd been searching for, but she had absolutely no idea how to go about getting the information she needed. Just the same, it was a sure bet that she didn't intend to let the runaway royal out of her sight until she had a clue about setting the timeline to rights. "You know, I'd _love_ to chat awhile, especially since we both seem to love inventing. I'm starving, though - I was about to go to the Inn when I heard you outside the ship. Would you like to come to Porre with me?"

The princess looked hesitant. "Well...I really hate going to the village, but..." A number of emotions passed over her face, and belatedly Lucca reached the conclusion that the girl was absolutely desperate for company. She was already compromising her disguise just by spending so much time talking here.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Lucca said gently.

"No, it's just that..." The girl paused. She must have then decided it was worth the risk as long as her new friend was a 'traveler' with secrets of her own, because her smile reappeared after a moment of thought. "Listen, I have food back at my place, if you'd like to come over. I could show you some of the projects I've been working on."

_That_ sounded a lot more tempting than dragging her feet around Porre all day hoping for a glimpse of Ayla. "Sold!"

The princess laughed. "All right then, follow me - it's not far from here."

* * *

The alter-Lucca (Lucca still wasn't sure _what_ to call her - really, she wasn't an "alter" version at all, because she'd been born to the Steward's wife...it was only because this girl was born before her that her father had named the girl "Lucca," she supposed. It made the original Lucca somewhat jealous) led her time-travelling companion into the woods, a few hundred metres away from Epoch, until they came to a tiny cabin in the middle of a clearing.

"You live _here_?" Lucca gasped. "Aren't these woods infested with monsters?"

The girl looked at her quizzically. "Well, there's the occasional hetake, but nothing serious. I do keep a weapon, just in case." She patted her tool belt.

"Right, of course." Royal or not - Lucca was again falling into the habit of thinking like the castle staff, it seemed - there was no reason why she wouldn't know how to defend herself. She _was_ a scientist, after all. Lucca wondered if some catalyst had driven the girl to taking up the study of machinery, like she herself once had - of course, being stuck up in that room alone all the time was probably enough by itself.

"Come inside," the Steward's daughter invited, and Lucca followed her into the little cabin. Though the outside appeared ramshackle, the inside was a more impressive testament of her skills with her hands, from the ornate carvings on the beams to the towering machines with their wiring wide open, inviting observers to witness movement as they puttered along. She had built by her own hands most of the comforts of home, it seemed, from a gas stove to an invention that looked like it might be for washing clothing. "I have a lot of time on my hands," the girl admitted, observing Lucca's awed stare.

Lucca ran a hand over the decorated doorframe. "You put it to good use."

"Thank you." She gestured at the small table, which had just one chair, and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Have a seat."

Sitting down, Lucca perched her elbows on the edge of the table and regarded her counterpart with some interest. "You have quite the talent. I guess we have that in common."

"Yes, inventing is my favourite pastime. My only one, really," the girl admitted. "Right now I'm working on a number of different things, mostly trying to outfit and expand the house."

"Other than to buy parts, I can't see why you'd ever need to leave!" Lucca said with a laugh.

"That's the idea," she returned, deadpan. "I like my privacy. I'm happy just sitting here all day, drawing up plans and putting them together. If I didn't have to go to the village to buy the occasional component, I'd be much happier. I even gather all my food from the forest."

Lucca's voice was noticibly appreciative. "You really are into it. Nothing wrong with that, though."

"But enough about me." Alter-Lucca looked the tiniest bit embarassed at her words. "What about you? Are you working on anything of interest?"

"Well..." The time-traveller trailed off for a moment before deciding that telling her a little bit couldn't hurt. Plus, a little exposition might help her find out what might or might not have happened to Marle. "Before I got caught up in the things I'm doing right now with Epoch, I was working on something pretty neat. It was called the Telepod, and it's a matter transporter of sorts."

"Oh, do go on!" Alter-Lucca looked extremely interested.

"I was able to use it to transport items from one platform to another, when they were spaced apart. Even living beings," she said with a touch of boastfulness.

"You know, I think I may have heard about something similar," her companion mused. "Are you, by any chance, from Truce?"

"Er, yes, actually." Lucca wondered if she'd said too much.

"Some time ago," the not-quite-princess continued, "I heard tell in town about a Porre girl who'd gone up to the Millenial Fair in Truce, and gotten involved in some teleportation experiment, and she went into the machine but she never came out. It's probably heresay, but it got around. I don't know if she ever returned."

"What - You don't mean Marle?" _A Porre girl? It couldn't be Marle, could it? But who else would have the pendant to make the Telepod react?_

"I don't know her name, I'm sorry. But _you_ invented that machine, then?"

Lucca faltered slightly. _A fine mess you've gotten yourself into now! How will you explain this!?_ "Uh, yes...it did return her, though. She was wearing an item that reacted badly with the machine, so it held her a little longer than it should have. She's absolutely fine now, I swear. In fact I just saw her yesterday!"

"You're babbling." Alter-Lucca smiled. "It's quite all right, though, I believe you. I just want to know more about your Telepod."

"Oh, well, you're welcome to see it if you're ever in the area. The Fair will be going on for a few more days." Lucca knew that this would never happen, as this rogue timeline ought to be erased by the next sunrise, so it didn't hurt to make the offer now. "It's still got a few bugs, but if you aren't wearing any weird magical items, it should be fine with you."

"Magical items." It was a statement, not a question. "You have truly piqued my curiosity. Your skills, your flying machine, the way you made fire appear in your hand...these are things I could only dream of. Perhaps it puts me in danger to ask, but I simply must know more."

Lucca winced. "I guess I said too much again. But if I told you the truth, you would never believe me...and really, it might endanger the entire planet for you to know it."

"How?" she whispered, softly.

"There is something trying to destroy this planet." _These words will vanish at sunup,_ Lucca told herself. "Nine hundred and ninety nine years from now, it will strike and kill every living thing on Earth. I'm one of a few that are trying to prevent that from happening...right now, the future of the planet isn't looking so good."

"You can travel through time, can't you?" The girl's eyes were wide, her hands clasped together in front of her chest. "Your bird-machine...your 'Epoch'. It can fly over time, can't it?"

Lucca froze. She hadn't expected the girl to guess their purpose or Epoch's hidden abilities...she'd only wanted to tell the barest parts. But now Alter-Lucca knew everything...

_And why shouldn't she?_ Lucca wondered to herself. _She doesn't exist in the real timeline because most of her is a part of me. My father will have only one child, in the true timeline, and she will be a combination of the two Luccas in this world, won't she? Can't I see a bit of myself in every word she says? Who's to say that _Dad_ didn't build the Telepod in this version of events while I was out gathering flowers or something?_

_Is there a harm in telling her what I've been doing? Don't I owe it to her?_

"I...can," Lucca admitted. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you figured it out."

"Well, I _am_ a genius," she said with a familiar laugh. "So if you're saving the world a thousand years from now, what are you doing here?"

"This is my home era," the scientist confessed. "I'm here because we made a bit of a mess of history sometime in the past four hundred years, and we're trying to repair it. If we can figure out what went wrong."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Alter-Lucca asked with interest.

Lucca thought she should explain it all, or what she knew of it, but she couldn't bring herself to tell her counterpart the truth. The truth hurt for even Lucca herself to think about. "There are things...but you'd be better off not knowing them. I've screwed up enough lives already."

"At least tell me your name," the Steward's daughter pleaded. "Even if you say nothing else, I will let you walk back to your ship at that, no questions asked. Please."

The scientist turned her head away, unwilling to look her half-sister in the face. "It's Lucca Ashtear."

* * *

At midnight, Frog and Ayla were preparing to depart, hovering around the pub in Porre while they waited for Marle to rejoin them. The two adventurers had hardly seen their friend all day thanks to her discovery of her heritage, and truth be told neither would have been certain what to say to Marle when she returned. Frog hoped that she simply wanted to get to know her mother better and would take it in stride when the time came for them to leave Aliza behind, but he suspected the Princess would be concealing her emotions on the subject. As activity in the village wound down, Ayla paced by the kitchen door while Frog nursed a tankard of ale in a strange reversal of the norm. Frog trusted that the cavewoman would not tell anyone that he had allowed himself to become so despondant.

The entire timeline, the existance of it...felt _wrong_ in a way that burned in the swordsman's gut. He could sense some hidden enemy lurking just beyond their reach; not Lavos, but the strange, heavy-handed winds of change that could never be bound completely by Fate. He wanted to return to 600 A.D. before anything else went wrong, that much was certain - Frog could tell that the longer they stayed, the closer their plans were coming to falling apart. He did not speak of this to Ayla, uncertain how to put it into words that their opposite syntaxes could truly comprehend, but he felt she sensed his uneasiness and perhaps felt some of her own.

His fears were only confirmed when Marle eased open the door of the pub, her face a grim mask. "Marle, 'tis about time. We'll be hard-pressed to reach Truce by sunup, lass."

"I'm not going," the Princess replied, avoiding her companion's bulbous eyes. "You and Ayla can meet Lucca without me. I want to stay with Mom until...it changes."

"That bad idea," Ayla warned.

"Aye. What might become of thou if we were to change the past with thee in it, I hardly know. Pray rejoin us now; do not make things harder on thyself, lass."

Her controlled expression slipping, Marle's eyes filled with tears. "I mean it. If you don't go meet Lucca, then you may as well let this timeline keep going, because I'm staying here."

"Marle!"

She stormed out of the pub, leaving a shocked Ayla with one hand outstretched and Frog half out of his seat, his webbed fingers curled into fists. "Marle..."

"What we do?" asked Ayla after a long pause.

Frog sighed heavily. "We must hurry on to meet Lucca at sunup, lest the lass be accosted by the castle guards again. We shall make a plan from there..." he paused. "Though I know not what it should be."

* * *

-to be continued...


End file.
